Oedipus Rex for Honors World Literature I Wiki
Welcome to the Oedipus Rex for Honors World Literature I Wiki Group Presentation/Teaching for Honors World Literature I - Lily Butler, Paul Redmond, and Alex Shannon 'OEDIPUS REX' Author Biography Sophocles * Born into a well to do family * Afforded an excellent education * Was viewed by elders as the embodiment of Athenian youth * Highly active in Athenian public life * Treasurer, general, priest, and a member of the group of special magistrates * Author (wrote 123 plays, 7 survive) Sophocles was born into a well to do family with his father being an armor manufacturer. ( It is unclear if the armor that Hector borrowed from Achilles was manufactured by Sophocles’ family due to a deregulation of labeling laws at that time). Sophocles was afforded an excellent education, and he was viewed by the elders as being the embodiment of Athenian youth. As an author, Sophocles wrote 123 plays; however, only 7 survive. Sophocles was highly active in Athenian public life, serving as treasurer, general, priest, and a member of the group of special magistrates who were over Athens financial affairs. Historical Context * The golden age of Athens 508 to 404 * 508 beginning of Athenian democracy * 499-449 Greco Persian war (Greeks 1: Persians 0) * Warships repurposed to build the empire and aid in the accumulate wealth * 431 The Peloponnesian war - marks the crest of the golden age * 431 Athenians from farms and suburbs barricade themselves behind city walls (A dangerous game of Na Na A Boo Boo with Spartan warriors) * 430 Plague strikes at the heart of Athens killing 1 in 3 * 429 Sophocles’ “Oedipus Rex” premiere * The golden age of Athens 508 to 404 THUCYDIDES DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAGUE Thucydides, in the History of the Peloponnesian War, paused in his narrative of the war to provide an extremely detailed description of the symptoms of those he observed to be afflicted; symptoms he shared as he too was struck by the illness. Despite his lack of medical training, Thucydides provided a vivid account of a variety of ailments which afflicted the diseases: Violent heats in the head; redness and inflammation of the eyes; throat and tongue quickly suffused with blood; breath became unnatural and fetid; sneezing and hoarseness; violent cough’ vomiting; retching; violent convulsions; the body externally not so hot to the touch, nor yet pale; a livid color inkling to red; breaking out in pustules and ulcers. (2.49-2.50) Thucydides further described patients whose fever was so intense that they preferred to be naked than wear any clothing which touched their skin; some even preferred to be submerged in cold water. Thucydides observed that the ill were “tormented by an unceasing thirst” which was not satiated regardless of the amount of liquids consumed. Many of the sick found it difficult to sleep, instead, displaying a constant restlessness. Many of the sufferers died within 7-9 days from the onset of symptoms. If the ill were fortunate enough to live beyond the initial period of the infection, Thucydides observed that the patient suffered from “violent ulceration” and severe diarrhea usually resulting in their death. Those who survived the full run of the illness often suffered from disfigurement of their genitals, fingers, and toes (which were sometimes lost), blindness, and memory loss (of others as well as themselves). Thucydides noticed that in some instances birds and other animals which usually fed on human flesh were repulsed by the diseased bodies or died themselves from consuming the diseased and rotting flesh. Key Passages Foreshadowing (548-553) Tireseas: “I say that man is here. You think he’s an immigrant, but he will prove himself to be a Theban native, though he’ll find no joy in that news. A blind man who still has eyes, a beggar who’s now rich, he’ll jab his stick, feeling the road to foreign lands.” Oedipus had the prophet Tireseas brought to him to share his knowledge on how to save Thebes. Tireseas did not wish to share, but Oedipus makes him. Throughout the course of their conversation, Oedipus turns aggressive and defensive, accusing Tireseas of plotting to kill Laios when he refuses to speak. Tireseas tells Oedipus that it is his fault, the murderer he is searching for is none other than himself, but that angers Oedipus even more and he sends the prophet away. Before Tireseas departs, though, he gives a quite literal glimpse into the future. Oedipus, a native to Thebes, a rich man, will end up blind and cast out to wander foreign lands. Realization (823-32) JOKASTA: “Listen to me, for I can make you believe no man, ever, has mastered prophecy. This one incident will prove it. A long time back, an oracle reached Laios-- I don’t say Apollo himself sent it, but the priests who interpret him did. It said that Laios was destined to die at the hands of a son born to him and me. Yet, as rumor has it, foreign bandits killed Laios at a place where three roads meet.” It is at this point where Oedipus has a reason to believe that he was the one to murder Laios because he had killed people at a place where three roads met. As the text goes on, Oedipus asks details of Laios’s murder and confirms that it was indeed him who killed Laios. Jokasta accepts this as reality by line 1204, and when Oedipus is stubborn and will not stop until he gets a solid answer, she runs back into the palace in lines 1217-1218 to hang herself. It is not until line 1336 Oedipus truly believes and admits that he killed his father Laios and has committed incest with his own mother and is therefore the cause of the plague of Thebes. (1217-1218) JOKASTA: "Oh you poor doomed child! This is the only name I can call you now. None other, forever!" (1336-1342) OEDIPUS: “All! All! It all happened! It was all true. O light! Let this be the last time I look on you. You see now what I am- the child who must not be born! I loved where I must not love! I killed where I must not kill!” The Gods' Victim (1733-1746) CHORUS: "Thebans, that man is the same Oedipus whose great mind solved the famous riddle. He was a most powerful man. Which of us seeing his glory, his prestige, did not wish his luck to be ours? Now look what wreckage the seas of savage trouble have made of his life. To know the truth of a man, wait till you see his life end. On that day, look at him. Don't claim any man is god's friend until he has passed through life and crossed the border into death- never having been god's victim." The chorus sums up Oedipus's tragic downfall. He was a very lucky man of prestige with seemingly everything going for him. When he went digging persistently for the truth about his life in attempt to cure Thebes, his whole life unraveled. The prophecy that was put over his life came to pass. Laios and Jakosta's attempt to kill him as a child and his own attempts to put as much distance between him and his parents both proved futile. Fate could not be changed. He may had been adored by people, but the god's held no favor for him. As the chorus says, at the end of his life, despite all of his fame and prestige, nothing could be said but that he was a cruel victim to the gods. Secondary Sources * Wasson, Donald L. “Oedipus the King.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 13 Sept. 2018, https://www.ancient.eu/Oedipus_the_King/ . ** Ancient History Encyclopedia host an entry about Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King”. The Piece included a brief description of the author, the main characters, and a plot summary. * Metzger, Doug. “episode_030_two_legs_in_the_afternoon.” All Episodes, http://literatureandhistory.com/index.php/episode-030-two-legs-in-the-afternoon . ** This is podcast offers some context surrounding Athens at the time Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King,” premiered. The author also forms an historical analysis of the play’s events and offers a summery. * Kousoulis, Antonis A. et al. “The Plague of Thebes, a Historical Epidemic in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex.” Emerging Infectious Diseases 18.1 (2012): 153–157. PMC. Web. 15 Sept. 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3310127/ . ** This is a scholarly article that discusses whether or not the plague in Oedipus reflects an actual historical event, compares it to the actual plague of Athens, and discusses a likely pathogen. Discussion Questions # Is it better to go forward and try to find new solutions in times of crisis, or is it better to strive to return to the way things once were? # How does Oedipus as a character contradict the Oedipus Complex? (The Oedipus complex is "a desire for sexual involvement with the parent of the opposite sex and a sense of rivalry with the parent of the same sex" (Britannica.com)) # How does irony play in Oedipus's fortune turning to misfortune? # Are some stones better left unturned? # How can someone attempting to change their fate just expedite the process of the fulfillment of their fate- the very thing they are trying to avoid? Latest activity Photos and videos are a great way to add visuals to your wiki. Add one below! Category:Browse